The present invention relates to a method for personalizing a NFC system or chipset (Near Field Communication) comprising a NFC interface circuit, particularly to execute a contactless secure application.
In the following description, “secure application” refers to an application implementing protection means preventing the execution of the application for non provided uses and by non authorized people. “Secure” memory or processor refers likewise to a memory or a processor equipped with means for preventing the access to the memory or control of the processor by non authorized people.
The NFC technology is currently developed by an industrial consortium gathered under the name of NFC Forum (http://www.nfc-forum.org). The NFC technology derives from the RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification) and uses NFC components or processors having several operating modes, in particular a Reader Mode and a Card Emulation Mode.
In reader mode, a NFC processor operates like a conventional RFID reader to read or write access a RFID chip (contactless chipcard or tag). The NFC processor emits a magnetic field, sends data by modulating the amplitude of the magnetic field and receives data by charge modulation and inductive coupling. This mode is also referred to as active mode, since in this mode the NFC processor emits a magnetic field.
In the emulation mode, described by the patent EP 1 327 222 in the name of the applicant, a NFC processor operates in a passive way like a transponder to dialog with another reader and be seen by the other reader like a RFID chip. The processor does not emit any magnetic field, sends data by demodulating a magnetic field emitted by the other reader and emits data by modulating the impedance of the antenna circuit thereof (charge modulation). This mode is also referred to as passive mode, since in this mode the NFC processor does not emit any magnetic field.
Other communication modes may be implemented, in particular a device mode where a component must match another NFC processor in the same operating mode, each NFC processor alternately switch to a passive state (without emitting field) to receive data and to an active state (emitting field) to emit data.
In these three operating modes, a NFC processor may implement several contactless communication protocols, for example ISO 14443-A, ISO 14443-B, ISO 15693, Felica®, etc. Each protocol defines a transmitting frequency of the magnetic field, a method for modulating the amplitude of the magnetic field to emit data in active mode, and a method of charge modulation by inductive coupling to emit data in passive mode. A NFC processor may therefore be a multimode and multiprotocol device.
Due to the wide communication abilities thereof, a NFC processor is intended to be integrated into portable devices like mobile phones or PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). A NFC system or chipset of the type shown in FIG. 1, under the reference NFCS1, is thus meant to be manufactured. The system NFCS1 comprises a NFC processor named NFCR1, and at least one first host processor HP1. Host processor refers to any integrated circuit comprising a microprocessor or a microcontroller and which is connected to a port of the NFC processor. In numerous applications, the NFC system also comprises a second host processor HP2, and sometimes a third one HP3.
The first host processor HP1 is the main processor of the device in which the NFC processor is embedded. It is usually a non secure processor, for example the baseband (or radiotelephony) circuit of a mobile phone which controls various peripheral elements of the phone, like the keyboard, the display, the transmitter, the receiver, etc.
The second host processor HP2 may be a secure circuit, for example the secure processor of a SIM card (Subscriber Identification Module) given by a mobile phone carrier, memorizing in particular a subscriber identifier.
The third host processor HP3 may also be a secure processor supplied by another service provider, for example for secure applications like an application of payment or access to a paying service. Such a host processor also memorizes an identifier of the user of the service.
The resources of the NFC processor are therefore put at the disposal of the processors HP1, HP2, HP3 to allow them to manage contactless applications. A NFC processor can thus manage the following applications.
1) AP1 type applications wherein the NFC processor NFCR1 is in reader mode to read or write in a contactless integrated circuit CLCT. The system NFCS1 is in this case used like a RFID reader. This type of application may be free and for example consist in reading advertizing data inserted into an advertising display of a terminal. The application may also be paying and consist for example in reading information reserved to subscribers. The program of the application AP1 is preferably held and executed by the processor HP1 if the service is free or is preferably held and executed by the processor HP2 if for paying service because it requires an identification of the subscriber. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, an application AP1 may be managed by one or the other host processor HP1, HP2, HP3.
2) AP2 type applications wherein the NFC processor NFCR1 is in card emulation mode to be read by conventional RD readers in applications of payment or paying access control (payment machine, metro entrance, etc.). The system NFCS1 is then used like a payment chip card. The program of the application AP2 is preferably held and executed by the secure processor HP2, as shown in FIG. 1, because accessing the service requires an identification of the subscriber.
3) AP3 type applications: the processor NFCR1 is in device mode and dialogs with another device, for example a reader embedded in another NFC system NFCS (for example a mobile phone or a computer). This type of application is usually free and allows data packets to be transferred from one device to another (point-point file transfer in particular). The program of the application AP3 is preferably held and executed by the non secure processor HP1, as shown in FIG. 1, which has a greater computing power than the secure processor HP2 if it is a SIM card processor.
FIG. 2 schematically shows an example of architecture of the NFC processor NFCR1 within the system NFCS1. The processor NFCR1 comprises a contactless data sending/receiving interface CLINT coupled to an antenna circuit ACT, wire communication interfaces INT1, INT2, INT3 linked to the interface CLINT, and a data routing or transferring processor NFCC1. The interface INT1 is connected to the host processor HP1, the interface INT2 connected to the host processor HP2 and the interface INT3 to the host processor HP3.
The present invention aims to secure applications allowing a NFC system like a mobile phone to be used as means of payment or access to a service. It is however not wished to add a second connector to connect, in addition to the processor of a SIM card, a secure processor of a secure card like a payment card. In addition, if the phone is equipped with a NFC processor associated to a secure host processor, it is not wished to add to the system another secure host processor or a connector which may only be used to transfer the data of a host processor from a payment card to the host processor associated to the NFC processor.
An idea of the invention is to personalize, with information of payment card or access to a paying service card, the secure host processor of the NFC system or the NFC processor itself if it is secure. It is in addition desirable that the security offered by such a use of a NFC system is at least equivalent to that of a conventional payment card.
Thus, in an embodiment, a method for personalizing a secure processor in a NFC system in order to execute a secure application is provided. According to one embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: establishing communication between a storage medium memorizing in a secured way identification data of a user, and a process unit, transmitting identification data stored in the storage medium to the process unit, the process unit obtaining personalization data corresponding to the user identification data, the process unit obtaining identification data of a NFC system of the user comprising a secure processor, the identification data of the NFC system comprising an encryption key of the secure processor, the process unit encrypting the personalization data using the encryption key, and transmitting to the NFC system the encrypted personalization data, the secure processor receiving the encrypted personalization data, and deciphering the personalization data, and the secure processor memorizing in a secured way the personalization data.
According to one embodiment, the user identification data are transmitted to the process unit by putting in communication the storing medium and a terminal connected to the process unit.
According to one embodiment, the identification data of the NFC system are at least partially supplied by the user to a terminal connected to the process unit.
According to one embodiment, the identification data of the NFC system are at least partially supplied by a contactless link established between the secure processor and a terminal connected to the process unit.
According to one embodiment, the identification data of the NFC system comprise an identifier of a NFC processor and/or a host processor coupled to the NFC processor.
According to one embodiment, the method comprises steps of generating a common secret piece of data shared by the process unit and a terminal connected to the process unit and to which the user has access, and the terminal supplying the secret piece of data to the user, the user supplying it to the NFC system.
According to one embodiment, the NFC system calculates a condensed value by applying a deterministic encryption function to the identification data of the NFC system and the secret piece of data and transmits the calculated condensed value with the identification data of the NFC system to the process unit, and the process unit checks the condensed value by applying the encryption function to the identification data of the NFC system and the secret piece of data it has generated, and stops the personalization process if the received condensed value is different of the calculated condensed value.
According to one embodiment, the NFC system is integrated into a mobile telecommunication terminal, and the encrypted personalization data are transmitted by the process unit to the NFC system through a mobile telecommunication network.
According to one embodiment, the encrypted personalization data are transmitted by the process unit to the NFC system by a contactless link established between a terminal connected to the process unit and comprising a NFC interface in communication with the NFC system.
According to one embodiment, the encrypted personalization data are transmitted to the NFC system through a memory card given to the user and susceptible of being put in communication by a contactless link with the NFC system.
According to one embodiment, the memory card comprises a NFC interface to establish a contactless link with the NFC system.
According to one embodiment, the memory card transmits the encrypted personalization data to the NFC system through a contactless link established with a terminal connected to the memory card and comprising a NFC interface.
According to one embodiment, the encrypted personalization data are transmitted with a condensed value obtained by applying a deterministic encryption function to the encrypted personalization data and the identification data of the NFC system, the NFC system checking the received condensed value by applying the encryption function to the encrypted personalization data received from the process unit and the identification data of the NFC system, and stops the personalization process if the condensed value received is different of the condensed value calculated.
According to one embodiment, the encryption key of the secure processor comprises a public key and a corresponding secret key which are locally generated by the secure processor.
According to one embodiment, the encryption key of the secure processor comprises a public key and a secret key which are inserted into the secure processor with a certificate emitted by a certification authority.
Another embodiment provides a system for personalizing a secure processor in a NFC system in order to execute a secure application. The personalization system comprises: a NFC system of a user, comprising a secure processor, and a process unit configured to: obtain identification data of the user memorized in a secured way in a storage medium, and obtain personalization data corresponding to the user identification data, obtain identification data of a NFC system, the identification data comprising an encryption key of the secure processor, and encrypt the personalization data using the encryption key of the secure processor, and transmit to the NFC system the encrypted personalization data, the secure processor being configured to receive the encrypted personalization data, decipher the personalization data, and memorize in a secured way the personalization data.
According to one embodiment, the personalization system comprises a terminal connected to the process unit and the storage medium, the terminal being configured to extract from the storage medium the user identification data and to transmit them to the process unit.
According to one embodiment, the personalization system comprises a terminal connected to the process unit, the terminal being configured to receive from the user at least partially, the identification data of the NFC system.
According to one embodiment, the personalization system comprises a terminal connected to the process unit and comprising a contactless interface configured to establish a contactless link with the secure processor, the secure processor and the terminal being configured so that the identification data are at least partially transmitted through the contactless link of the NFC system from the secure processor to the terminal.
According to one embodiment, the identification data of the NFC system comprise an identifier of a NFC processor and/or a secure host processor coupled to the NFC processor.
According to one embodiment, the personalization system comprises a terminal connected to the process unit and to which the user has access, the terminal and the process unit being configured to generate a common secret piece of data shared by the process unit and the terminal, the terminal being configured to supply the secret piece of data to the user, the NFC system being configured to receive the secret piece of data of the user.
According to one embodiment, the NFC system is configured to calculate a condensed value by applying a deterministic encryption function to the identification data of the NFC system and the secret piece of data, and to transmit the calculated condensed value with the identification data of the NFC system to the process unit, the process unit being configured to receive and check the condensed value by applying the encryption function to the identification data of the NFC system and the secret piece of data it has generated, and to stop the personalization process if the received condensed value is different of the calculated condensed value.
According to one embodiment, the NFC system is integrated into a mobile telecommunication terminal, the process unit being configured to transmit the encrypted personalization data to the NFC system through a mobile telecommunication network.
According to one embodiment, the personalization system comprises a terminal connected to the process unit and comprising a NFC interface in communication through a contactless link with the NFC system, the process unit, the terminal and the NFC system being configured so that the encrypted personalization data are transmitted from the process unit to the NFC system through the contactless link via the terminal.
According to one embodiment, the personalization system comprises a memory card given to the user and susceptible of being put in communication through a contactless link with the NFC system, the memory card being configured to memorize the encrypted personalization data and transmit them to the NFC system.
According to one embodiment, the personalization system comprises a memory card given to the user and a terminal susceptible of being connected to the memory card and comprising a NFC interface in communication through a contactless link with the NFC system, the memory card being configured to memorize the encrypted personalization data, the memory card, the terminal and the NFC system being configured so that the encrypted personalization data are transmitted from the memory card to the NFC system via the terminal.
According to one embodiment, process unit is configured to transmit the encrypted personalization data with a condensed value obtained by applying a deterministic encryption function to the encrypted personalization data and the identification data of the NFC system, the NFC system being configured to check the received condensed value by applying the encryption function to the encrypted personalization data received from the process unit and the identification data of the NFC system, and to stop the personalization process if the condensed value received is different of the condensed value calculated.
According to one embodiment, the secure processor is configured to generate the public key and the corresponding secret key.
According to one embodiment, the secure processor is configured to receive the public key and the corresponding secret key with a certificate emitted by a certification authority.
Another embodiment provides a process unit for personalizing a secure processor of a NFC system in order to execute a secure application. The process unit is configured to: obtain identification data of a user stored in a secured way in a storage medium, and personalization data corresponding to the user identification data, obtain identification data of a NFC system, the identification data comprising an encryption key of the secure processor, and encrypt the personalization data using the encryption key, and transmit to the NFC system the encrypted personalization data.
According to one embodiment, the identification data of the NFC system comprise an identifier of a NFC processor and/or a host processor coupled to the NFC processor.
According to one embodiment, the process unit is configured to generate a secret piece of data in common with a terminal connected to the process unit, the secret piece of data being shared by the process unit and the terminal.
According to one embodiment, the process unit is configured to receive and check a condensed value obtained by applying an encryption function to the identification data of the NFC system and the secret piece of data it has generated, and to stop the personalization process if the received condensed value is different of the calculated condensed value.
According to one embodiment, the process unit is configured to transmit the encrypted personalization data to the NFC system through a mobile telecommunication network.
According to one embodiment, the process unit is configured to transmit the encrypted personalization data to the NFC system via a terminal connected to the process unit via a network and to the NFC system via a contactless link.
According to one embodiment, the process unit is configured to transmit the encrypted personalization data with a condensed value obtained by applying a deterministic encryption function to the encrypted personalization data and the identification data of the NFC system.